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Rallying Together to Speak up for Science & Public Opinion

This week we faced our opposition head on when Congressman Rick Nolan urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture “to reverse the agency’s decision to withdraw more than 234,000 acres out of multiple-use purpose from the Superior National Forest." We did not take that news lightly and organized supporters like you in response.

His statement comes in response to the exciting news of earlier this year when the United States Forest Service officially announced a two-year pause on mining activities and initiated an environmental review of 234,328 acres of Superior National Forest in the Boundary Waters watershed. Read how this all fits into our short, medium and long term goals.

That Forest Service decision came about thanks to the more than 74,000 of you who petitioned for the denial of Twin Metals leases and asked for an environmental review of the entire watershed. Following the lease denial, the environmental review and comment period commenced in January and you can take action now to add a comment.

Rep. Nolan's action to halt this existing environmental review is anti-Boundary Waters, anti-science, and anti-citizen and benefits a Chilean mining company at the risk of permanent major damage to the Boundary Waters and at the expense of many home-grown businesses.

In response, this week we asked supporters like you to speak up, to call the congressman’s office (202-225-6211) and to show up in Duluth to speak up for the value of this environmental review and using science and public input to guide decisions about the future of the Boundary Waters. Thank you to all of you who have taken action at this critical time. If you want to know more about how you can help in moments like this or take action today, become a Wilderness Warrior.

We’re grateful to Rep. Betty McCollum for backing up our efforts this week. The congresswoman stated, “Representative Nolan’s assault on this natural treasure is misguided. Minnesotans can count on me to stay the course and keep fighting everyday to protect our Boundary Waters from polluters, the Trump administration, and politicians who stand with it.” And for the continued support of Governor Dayton, who this week restated his support, saying, "protecting the waters of the BWCA is one of our generation's sacred responsibilities."

With so much back and forth between the representatives and Rep. Nolan’s own confusing defensive statements about protecting the Boundary Waters and supporting an environmental review, we wanted to take a minute to explain some more details about the process as it stands, Representative Nolan’s stance and why it’s important to speak up to keep this environmental review moving forward.

Rep. Nolan is seeking to stop the most important environmental review - one that looks at the Boundary Waters and the impact on the Wilderness if sulfide-ore copper mining were allowed in the watershed. This is the environmental review that is now underway, initiated by the U.S. Forest Service based on strong scientific evidence that sulfide-ore copper mining nearby will harm the Wilderness.

Rep. Nolan claims that he is pro-environmental review. What he is not being clear about is that he only supports environmental review after a mining company asks for a permit. Only after the Forest Service has been forced - by raw political threats - to grant a mineral lease.

Rep. Nolan wants to short-circuit the right process now underway. He would allow international copper mining companies to define environmental review the way they want. The mine-by-mine environmental review process that Rep. Nolan favors puts the cart before the horse, and is a recipe for permanent and irreversible contamination of the BWCAW.

If Rep. Nolan gets what he wants then international mining companies will once again be able to apply for new mineral leases in the watershed, and they will re-start their plans to mine sulfide-ore copper... upstream from Minnesota's cleanest water and America's most-visited wilderness area. Minnesota’s Governor and the Forest Service have temporarily halted consideration of sulfide-ore copper mining in the watershed because of overwhelming scientific evidence of harm.

Join us in telling Rep. Nolan (202-225-6211) you oppose his attempt to shut down the established environmental review process, and shut Minnesotans and Americans out of the process.